Acceptance
by iBeansprout
Summary: An unlikely friendship forms between the resident troublemaker of Whammy's House, Mello, and the timid newcomer. Both looking to be accepted by others and each other, trying to find where they belong in this cruel world. Nothing is harder than learning to accept themselves, flaws and all. [Mello x OC ] Rated T for Mello's potty mouth. Warning: Attempted Suicide
1. First Friend

Acceptance || Death Note

 **I've attempted to write this story a couple times before, but never liked how it was turning out. I've finally figured out where I want the story to go and how I should write it. Kite is one of my oldest OCs, having created her back in 2009. I've spent years developing and fleshing her out, so I'm proud of how she's turned out.**

 **But enough of my ramblings. Enjoy!**

* * *

She looked up, clear blue eyes taking in the sight of a large church-like building. It was enclosed by a Victorian style black gate that surrounded the property. The exterior certainly did resemble a church, with its large stained glass windows painted many pretty colors. Those are what drew her eye to the building the most. The artist in her was captivated by the pictures the colored glass formed, each one telling a story. In one small hand was a black umbrella, shielding her from the pouring rain.

She used to love the rain, but it was pouring on the day she watched her parents' caskets get lowered into the ground. She was alone, and the rain only reminded her of that fact. She could no longer take pleasure in watching the rain pitter patter against her window, nor could did the sound soothe her. Instead, rain made her feel like she would drown in her solitude.

The other hand held onto one of the many books she liked to read again and again. **Alice's Adventures in Wonderland** , was the title of the book clutched tightly to her chest. Turning her attention away from the orphanage for gifted children, she let her eyes wander to the kind older gentleman standing beside her.

His gray hair was slicked back, a black hat sitting on top of his head. Eyes were closed and his mustache matched the color of his hair. He adorned an all-black suit and long trench coat. The man turned his head to look down upon the small thirteen year old, lips pulling into a kind smile. The wrinkles of his skin being tugged as he grinned. When he'd picked her up from the previous orphanage she was temporarily living in, he'd introduced himself as Watari.

His eyes opened to meet her innocent gaze, placing a hand on her shoulder with a comforting squeeze. "Nervous?" His voice was light and wispy, kindness oozing from his tone.

The girl with light brown hair quietly nodded her head, glancing away to break the eye contact. She couldn't handle looking people in the eyes for too long. She wanted to hide her face from the world. She had bangs that covered her forehead, and were getting a bit too long resulting in her hair being in her bright blue eyes. As a child, she'd always been called ugly by her peers at school. She began to believe them.

Watari led the girl inside and down a long hallway lined with many doors. Explaining to her that all the orphans lived in these rooms, usually having a roommate. She would have one too, a girl her own age. He told her that there were several kids in her age range here, so she had a good chance of making friends.

 _If only it were that simple._

He opened the door to an office and gestured for her to go inside. Sitting at a desk in the room was another old man who was a bit on the grumpier side than Watari. His hair was graying just as much and he wore a pair of small glasses on the bridge of his nose. A small nameplate on the desk indicated his name was Roger. The man called Roger was looking through some papers, which unbeknownst to the timid girl, was her records and documents.

 _Name: Karina Sweetnam_

 _DOB: 10/21/1990_

 _Sex: Female_

 _Height: 5'0"_

 _Weight: 105 lbs_

 _Blood type: B_

 _Ethnicity: Caucasian_

 _Country of Origin: United States of America_

It also listed her previous schools and the name of the orphanage she'd been living in before coming here. Underneath all that was her medical record and list of illnesses or disorders she might have, but only a couple were actually checked off, along with one other being being written in as it wasn't listed.

 _Anxiety_ (Social anxiety was written in)

 _Depression_

 _Other: Tourette Syndrome_

It was rare that he came across a child who had been born with Tourette Syndrome. The disorder was more common than people realized, but Roger had never met another person who had it. He could only imagine how the other children would react to her if the symptoms began to show. It could become a distraction during class time, but for now it was best to just see what would happen. He didn't wish to isolate her from the rest of her peers just because she couldn't control the noises she made.

Roger glanced up from her records to see said girl walking into his office meekly, with Watari at her side. She was short in stature, with a petite frame. Her brown hair was shoulder length, the sides curving inwards to frame her face. Her bangs covered her forehead and fell into her soft blue eyes. They held an innocence that wasn't too common in girls her age anymore, but he could see the sadness deep in them. Her skin was pale, indicating that she wasn't much of an outdoors person. A black ribbon was wrapped around her head, tied at the top into a cute little bow.

"Karina, is it?" The girl nodded her head quietly, not making a single sound. He could see she was a shy one, another thing that was rare in girls her age now. "Your things are in your room, so I'll take you there in a little while." He stood, grabbing his walking cane and shuffling around the desk. "I'll take things from here, Watari. I'll be showing her around and introducing her to the other children." The other elderly man bowed his head a bit, a habit he picked up while being in Japan with L for as long as he has been. He left the room, and the orphanage to go drive back to the airport. It was essential that he was by L's side during the Kira investigation currently going on.

Roger gestured for the girl to follow him, and she nodded quietly. Clutching her book tighter to her chest, her stomach in knots as she mulled over her fear of human interaction. They began their tour down the halls of the orphanage. He showed her the important areas, like the lunch room, the library, the classrooms, the rooms where all the children stayed in, etc. He explained to her the purpose of this establishment: to raise these intelligent children to become the heir to the world's greatest detective, L. She had never heard of L, nor did she have any interest in being a detective.

She was more of an artist and a bookworm. She has, however, read plenty of detective novels.

He briefly mentioned the ongoing Kira investigation and how dangerous the world has become. Kira is an unknown person living in Japan, who has killed hundreds of criminals using unknown methods. She already knew about that since it was all over the news. Even the US President was terrified of Kira. Roger told her that in order for their identities to be kept secret, every child in Whammy's is required to come up with a fake name. An alias, if you will. She would need one as well, for her own safety in the future.

The shy brunette pondered over what kind of alias would fit her. She'd never had a nickname before, so she didn't have anything to go off of.

All her life, she compared herself to a kite. A kite couldn't fly freely like a bird, it would only be carried by the wind for a brief amount of time before coming crashing down to the earth again. Unable to gain freedom from what held it back. She felt the same way, being held back from making a friend or talking to people because of her terrible social anxiety and depression. She had the strong desire to one day break free from the chains that held her back from her true potential. To go out into the world without feeling scared, and to make a friend or two. To have confidence in herself and hold her head up high with a smile.

From now on, she would abandon the name of Karina Sweetnam, as much as that hurt to do.

Her new name would be Kite.

* * *

"Huh...looks like the new kid showed up." A redhead mused, green eyes gazing out the window at the front yard down below. His bright red hair was in a sort of bowl cut, his bangs in his eyes. He wore a black and white striped shirt with long sleeves and regular blue jeans. Atop his head was a pair of orange tinted goggles. He took note of the rather cute looking girl standing beside Watari, a bright blue umbrella in her hand. He couldn't quite make out her facial expression too well from where he was, but at least he could tell she was cute. "It's a girl too."

A distinct snapping noise could be heard from across the room, the other male narrowed his icy blue eyes as he bit into a bar of chocolate. His blond hair was in a distinct bob cut and he wore a long sleeved black shirt and matching black pants. "Yeah? So what? Why should I give a shit?" He questioned with a natural edge in his voice. "If you have time to look at girls then you have time to study more."

The redhead rolled his green eyes, turning his attention to the grouchy blond. "Aren't you the least bit curious what she's like, Mello?"

Mello looked up from his textbook he was using to study some material for class, his expression deadpan. "No, Matt. I have no interest in knowing what the new kid is like. She's probably just like every other girl here anyway." By that, he meant that the other girls here were annoying or loud. At least, the ones closer to his age were like that. He never bothered with the younger kids too much.

"Roger wanted us all to gather in the play area so we can meet her. We should probably head over there now." Matt reminded his friend, who was completely disinterested in anything to do with this new person. While Matt didn't blame Mello for feeling that way, he also felt like the chocolate loving blond was being too much of a grouch. Mello grunted in response and went back to reading his textbook. Matt would have called him a nerd, but that would result in Mello death glaring him. His glares were scarier than any horrific entity he feared as a child.

"You can go if you're so curious. I'm staying here." Mello responded, sounding almost childish in the way he spoke. Matt rolled his eyes again, saving his progress on the game he was playing and shut off the gameboy. He wished that Mello would at least _try_ and be a bit friendlier towards other people aside from him. At the moment, Matt was his only friend here. Everyone else either hated him like Coco, were indifferent like Near, or had some weird crush on him like Kitten did. Mello hated all three of those individuals, Near being the one he hated the most.

"I don't think Roger is giving us much of a choice. He said he wanted _everyone_ to go." Matt argued, only being met with a low growl and silence. The blond male ran a hand through his long golden locks, thin eyebrows furrowed together in frustration as he closed his book shut. Standing up so forcefully he nearly knocked his chair over, Mello clicked his tongue and walked over to their door, opening it. A small grin pulled at Matt's lips as he followed close behind his best friend.

"This better not be a waste of time…" Mello grumbled, his voice deeper now that he'd been going through puberty. Matt's voice hadn't quite reached that level yet, as it was still cracking whenever he spoke most of the time. He got snickered at but it was something all boys went through when puberty reared its ugly head.

"You think anything that doesn't have to do with studying or one upping Near is a waste of time. Take a break for once...you remember what happened to the last kid that studied too much."

Mello remembered alright, and he wasn't going to let himself end up like him. He was stronger, mentally and physically. He wasn't the type of person to harm himself and he certainly didn't have thoughts of wanting to die. He wanted to succeed. He wanted to become number one and surpass even L, his mentor. To do that, he had to study his ass off no matter what. Even if he was sick in bed he would continue to further his studies. The only breaks he took were to eat, go outside for recess and sleep. Mello was known for being hyper focused on a certain goal. He didn't have time for _fun._

The two teenagers exited their shared bedroom and headed over to the playroom in silence, aside from the sounds coming from Matt's game. Despite all the games he played, the redhead was quite intelligent with incredible computer skills. Nobody could find their way around a computer's inner workings like he could. That's why, if and when Mello finally decides to leave this place for good, he'd take Matt with him as he'd need a good hacker.

He'd never consider bringing anyone else along, as they'd just get in the way. He didn't _need_ anyone else other than Matt. Mello especially didn't need to go meet some dumb girl who he wouldn't give a shit about.

The two walked into the playroom and immediately he wanted to turn around and leave. First of all, Near was there. Well, of course he is, every orphan living here was gathered in the rather large play area. Second of all, he spotted that damn Coco leaning up against the far wall and eagerly waiting for the chance to make a new friend. Thirdly, his... _admirer_ had noticed him walk in and attempted to bat her eyes at him all innocent-like. He knew damn well Kitten was anything but innocent. She was an annoying bitch who needed to get the hint that he'd never be interested in her. He didn't care for shallow, vapid and cruel girls like her.

Ignoring Kitten's silent attempts at getting him to notice her, he and Matt crossed the room to stand against the wall away from the other children. He took a few seconds to shoot the white haired boy on the floor a piercing glare. Near hadn't seemed to notice, and if he did, he wouldn't care. Stupid sheep and his stupid puzzles-

Mello's attention was taken away from his eternal rival as he heard Roger's grumpy voice. Looking to the doorway, the elderly man seemed to nudge someone out from behind him. A timid, mousy looking girl reluctantly stepped forward. She looked absolutely terrified to be here, not even having the courage to keep her head up. The girl was even hiding her face with her hair, a typical trait of an extremely shy person. His eyes narrowed at the delicate, frail looking creature standing before him.

 _This_ was the new girl? He knew right then and there that she was _not_ worth his time.

* * *

The walk to the playroom felt like it took hours. She walked slow to keep pace with the old man leading her there. The anxiety of meeting a bunch of kids she's never seen before was bubbling up inside her, making her chest tighten to the point it felt hard to breathe properly. Her mind was a storm of negative and jumbled thoughts, worrying what the kids would think of someone like her. She was scared, no, _terrified_ of meeting the other children here. Even more so of the older kids who were supposed to be around her own age. She was told her roommate would be female, but that didn't ease her worries. Back in elementary school, and at the private school she had been attending up until this point, girls hated her. They bullied her just as badly as the boys did, possibly even worse than that.

She never felt like she belonged anywhere. Perhaps this would be a fresh new start for her. A clean slate, a chance to find a place she felt like she could belong. Maybe...she could make a friend. Even if it was just one, that's all she wanted.

Before she knew it, she was standing in front of a large play area filled with children of different ages. Her immediate response was to hide behind Roger, but he seemed annoyed as he nudged her gently out into the open. She stumbled a bit and her body seized up as she realized all eyes were on her. Her chest tightened up even more so, soft blue eyes avoiding making eye contact with anyone. Her bangs helped in shielding her pretty eyes from anyone trying to look through her. She had already begun to close herself off from everyone, building a shell around herself to keep from getting hurt.

"Go on...introduce yourself." Roger urged, sounding more like he just wanted to get this over with. She looked back at him briefly, as if pleading for him to do it for her before realizing it was hopeless. She'd...have to do it herself.

Her lips quivered as they parted, her voice coming out in a soft hush. "Um….I...I'm K-Kite….i-it's nice...t-to meet...y-you all…" As she tried to speak, her hands gripped onto the hem of her black off the shoulder sweater.

None of the children could hear her introduction, however. A girl with blonde hair in soft curls and sharp green eyes spoke up, her catty voice cutting through the silence. "What was that? No one can hear you." She wore a smug smirk on her face, her two friends standing on either side of her snickering. A dark skinned girl wearing a pink sweater and white skirt glared at the trio.

"Shut it, Kitten-"

She was swiftly cut off by Roger clearing his throat and sending a strict glare in their direction. "Please, no arguing girls." He scolded, the dark skinned girl folding her arms over her chest and puffing her cheeks out in a pout. The elderly man turned his attention back to the timid girl. "Please do try to speak louder so everyone can hear you."

Kite swallowed hard, a lump forming in her throat as she tried to resist the urge to cry. She lifted her head up, scared blue eyes scanning the entire room and taking in every single occupant. She shifted her weight from one foot to the other, fidgeting with her hands. A very nervous habit she had developed over the years.

"M-My name is...K-Kite. I-It's very nice to m-meet you all-" Her introduction ended when a high pitched squeak escaped her throat. Her body seized up again, face burning as she started getting strange looks. The blonde girl and her two friends snickered among themselves while the dark skinned girl continued to glare at them. Kite looked down, once again avoiding making eye contact as tears welled up in her eyes. She felt so embarrassed that she'd let a tic slip out like that. Clutching her book tighter to her chest, she tried to suppress more tics that threatened to surface.

Roger let out an irritated sigh, wondering why he decided to run an orphanage when he didn't care for children. "Be nice to her and make her feel welcome here. If I hear anything about bullying, someone's getting detention." His gaze shifted to the two most obvious people. Kitten and Mello. Both blondes reacted differently to being suspected of bullying. Kitten twirled her pretty blonde hair around her finger and played innocent. Mello scoffed and looked away, arms crossed over his chest and eyes rolling. He clearly didn't give a shit what Roger thought of him. The old man left and the children all went back to what they had been doing. Completely ignoring that Kite was still standing there shaking and on the verge of crying.

She felt a hand on her shoulder, startling her and forcing her to look up. It was the dark skinned girl who tried to defend her. "Hi! I'm Coco! You're Kite, right?" The energetic girl asked, earning a nod from the much more quiet female. "That's a neat alias! So guess what? I'm your new roommate! This is gonna be so much fun! I've been wanting another girl I could be friends with!" Coco was smiling so much that Kite wondered how someone could be so optimistic.

The word _friends_ caught Kite off guard. Someone...wanted to be friends with her? It was such a strange feeling, as she'd never had any friends in her life. Her only companions were the characters in the books she read. It was no replacement for real friendship, however. Kite's eyes went wide just a bit, her voice caught in her throat. She wanted to say _something_ , but didn't know what. This had never happened before...another person actually telling her they wanted to be friends.

"F...Friends?"

"Yeah! I'm your friend now!" Coco chirped with a playful smile, pulling Kite into a one armed hug. She felt her cheeks flush as she tried to force back a smile, and Coco squealed in delight as she pulled Kite into a full blown hug. "You're so small and cute! I'm jealous!" The dark skinned girl giggled as she released the timid female from her bear hug. Coco held her thin shoulders as she examined Kite's face more closely. "All you need is to cut those bangs a bit shorter and then everyone can see your pretty eyes!"

Kite wasn't used to being called cute or pretty, unless it was her parents telling her this. But they were gone, and she'd no longer hear them say she was a beautiful girl. She'd no longer hear them shower her with praise when she brought home excellent marks on her report card. They would never be amazed by her art skills ever again. But...maybe that's okay. Now...she had a friend. Not a fictional friend, but a _real_ one. It was such an odd concept to her, making a friend for the first time. But...it felt good.

She started to feel a bit less lonely, and her entire world brightened up as soon as the pink clad girl smiled at her. That radiant smile was contagious, and Kite couldn't help her lips tugging up into a similar expression. Coco squealed and hugged Kite again. "Gosh, you are just so freaking cute!"

As she was being hugged, Kite's blue eyes began to wander around. The blonde girl and her two friends had walked past her and Coco, and the look she received nearly brought back many unpleasant memories and feelings. She resembled all the other girls back in elementary school that bullied her constantly. She tore her gaze away from Kitten's and it landed on a couple of boys standing farther away from everyone else.

One was a redhead wearing goggles on his head. He looked absorbed in whatever game he was playing on an old hand-held system. One that was popular back in the 90's. The boy (at least, she thought that was a boy) standing next to the redhead had blond hair in a bob cut that went down to his neck. He wore all black and seemed agitated. The thing about him that stuck out the most to her, was his icy blue eyes. They were so striking and hypnotizing that she couldn't tear her eyes away. Her own blue gaze met his in that moment, and she knew right then and there…

...She felt both scared of and drawn to him.

Kite had to look away from him when Coco pulled away, taking one of her hands and leading her out of the play area. "I know you should probably meet everyone, but you seem overwhelmed right now. So! I'll show ya where our room is! Just let the mighty Coco lead the way!" The energetic thirteen year old had begun to skip ahead of Kite as they walked down the long hallway together. The mousy girl panicked a bit and briskly walked to catch up with Coco.

* * *

Mello felt angry and irritated. It was a waste of his time to go to the play area just to meet some...timid mouse of a girl. Matt had been right about her looks, she _was_ cute. But since when did Mello ever give a shit about looking at pretty girls? She was far too timid for his liking, and worst of all, Coco had gotten to her. No doubt, this Kite girl would be someone he'd come to _loathe_ too. He'd rather meet a girl who was intelligent and level headed, not loud females like Coco and certainly not timid little church mouses. He had zero patience for all the stuttering and indecisiveness.

As he watched Kitten leave, she gave Kite this look. He knew the blonde bitch had found her newest target, and she'd be an incredibly easy one too. She seemed like a doormat, just letting people walk all over her. As Kitten walked out of the room, his gaze met Kite's for the briefest of moments. For some strange reason…

...he couldn't look away. In fact, he wanted to get closer but seeing Coco there made him rethink that choice. His eyes narrowed ever so slightly as he silently observed Kite's expression. She was entranced by him, it seemed.

"Hey Mells, I know she's cute but you don't have to stare so much. You're gonna look like a creeper doing that." Matt commented from beside him, a smug grin plastered on his boyish face. The redheaded gamer received a sharp glare from Mello.

"Just fucking shut your hole, Matt."

The redhead snickered to himself as Mello's gaze followed the two girls until they were gone. It was then their turn to walk out of the play area, heading back to their shared room. He had to get back to studying. His mind went to the book Kite had been clinging onto like it was a stuffed animal. He guessed she liked to read, and enjoyed whimsical fantasies with nonsense plots.

He nearly smacked himself for letting his mind go back to that girl. She was nothing special to him, and he saw no reason to even speak to her. The troublemaking duo arrived back in their room, and while Matt went back to staring at his game screen, Mello sat back down at his desk to resume studying. That doe-eyed stare of hers kept entering his mind, no matter how many times he tried to ignore it.

He was already drawn to her and had yet to fully realize it.

* * *

Coco opened the door to her room and walked inside, plopping down on her bed. Kite entered right after her, her head glancing around to take in her new surroundings. The walls of the room were colored a pastel pink, it felt so warm and inviting. The floor was covered with clean white carpeting. In the room were two beds on each side, two dressers as well as small night stands next to the beds. A bathroom was built in complete with a tub and showerhead. In the middle of the room was a small table, great for sitting on the floor together and doing homework and having snacks. Next to Kite's night stand was a bookshelf. It wasn't very large, but it was just big enough to hold the books that she did manage to bring with her.

Besides, she wouldn't have been able to bring _that_ many books.

Coco's bed was decorated with a cute polka dotted bed set and pillows that were ruffled at the edges. The furniture was colored white, going nicely with the pink walls. On Coco's nightstand was the kind of lamp you'd expect a teenage girl to have. Beads dangling down from the pink lampshade. Coco really seemed to like the color pink, and she was a bit on the girly side. Kite didn't mind, as she was quite girly and feminine herself.

Looking to her own bed, it had a plain bed set but she would be allowed to get her own at a later date. There was no lamp on the night stand, but she had a small plug in night light packed away in her suitcase. Said luggage was sitting on her bed, as well as her bag full of her books. Watari must have taken her stuff in while Roger was giving her a tour.

"So? What do you think?" Coco asked, swinging her legs back and forth as she smiled and tilted her head.

"I...It's nice. I-I feel...comfortable here." Kite replied, voice soft and quiet as she placed her Alice book on one of the shelves. She turned back to Coco, who stood up with a little twirl. She looked so optimistic and happy. "Um...w-we're...really friends?" She asked, uncertain and keeping her gaze off the dark skinned girl.

"Yeah! Of course we are! We're roommates, so that automatically makes us friends!"

Tears formed in Kite's eyes, falling down her round cheeks. Her shoulders shook and her chest heaved, her form hunching as her hands clutched at where her heart was. Coco, confused and worried, put her arm around Kite's thin shoulders and leaned in a bit closer. "Hey, don't cry. What's wrong, Kite?" The dark skinned girl cooed softly, rubbing small circles into the other's back.

"I...I've...ne-never had a fr-friend...b-before…" The timid brunette admitted, glancing up at Coco as she tried to wipe away her tears. The taller girl blinked for a moment before her large smile returned. To Kite, her smile could brighten up the entire room. Coco shined so brightly, brimming with confidence and never ending optimism.

"Then I'll be your first friend!" Those words deeply affected Kite, causing her to clutch her chest even tighter. Her body was trembling and her tears continued to fall, but the shy brunette was smiling right back. She almost couldn't believe what she was hearing, it seemed too good to be true. But it is true. Neither of the girls noticed, but the rain had stopped and the sun peeked out from behind the dark clouds. Its rays pouring into the room through the window and shining brightly on the two. Coco looked so radiant in that moment.

 _My…first friend…_

* * *

 **Please leave me some feedback so I know how I'm doing with this so far! Thanks!**

 **-Bean**


	2. Suppressed Emotions

"Wow...you _really_ like to read, don't you?" Coco's voice conveyed just how amazed she was by the amount of books her new roommate had put on the bookshelf. In just thirty minutes, Kite had managed to arrange all the books she brought with her in alphabetical order on the shelves, completely filling the entire case. Coco had never met someone who owned so much reading material in her young life.

The brunette turned to her roommate with a sheepish expression, pulling her sleeves over her small hands and fidgeting with them. Her head bobbed up and down, nodding in response. Kite gazed at her collection and ran her delicate fingers along the spines. They stopped on one particular book, a thin one indicating it wasn't an incredibly lengthy story.

"I...didn't h-have friends as a child...all I had were my books…" She pulled the book out from the shelf, flipping through its page. "T-This one i-is one of my favorites.."

Coco moved closer to get a better look at the cover, tilting her head as she leaned down. "The Little Prince? What's it about?" She took note of the child-like illustrations, as if a ten year old drew them. There was something whimsical about the drawings, despite how amateurish they appeared to be.

"W-Would you like to read it? I-I don't mind l-letting you borrow it." The shy brunette closed the book and held it out to Coco. It was always better to let someone experience the story for themselves rather than just spoiling the entire thing for them. The dark skinned girl smiled and gently took the book from Kite, holding it delicately.

"Of course! If it's one of your favorites, then it must be good." She placed it down on her nightstand, opting to read it later when she didn't have anything to do. For now, Coco wanted to show her new friend around the orphanage. Give her a more in-depth tour of the place. "But~ for now, I wanna take you to meet some of the other kids here. There's so many things Roger didn't tell you about." She was practically bouncing up and down where she stood, resembling an excited and hyper puppy dog.

Kite fidgeted as her gaze fell to look at anything else but her roommate. Grunts and squeaks escaped her throat as her body jerked a bit. Coco's excitement ceased, her smile fading as she tilted her head. "Um…I've been wondering about this since earlier but...why do you keep doing that?"

The petite girl tensed up just as she did before in the playroom, avoiding making eye contact with the other female. Her chest tightened up, the ability to breathe becoming more difficult. "I...um...I-I was...born with T-Tourette Syndrome…"

She turned away from Coco, holding her hands to her chest. Expecting the dark skinned girl to start laughing or making fun of the sounds she made. Instead, Coco tilted her head and walked closer, leaning down to look around at Kite's reddened face. "What is that? What's Tourette Syndrome?" Her chocolate brown eyes filled with curiosity. She genuinely didn't know what that even was. Kite slowly turned her head to look at her new friend, her muscles relaxing just a bit since Coco wasn't making fun of her. But still, trying to explain what it was to someone wasn't an easy task. She didn't feel like she had the courage to talk about it with anyone.

"Um...w-well…" She started, fidgeting some more as she tried to work up the nerve to talk. It took a few minutes for Kite to open her mouth to speak, and when she did Coco couldn't hear a single stutter in her sentence. She spoke so clearly, as if she had a textbook entry inside her head.

"Tourette Syndrome is one type of Tic Disorder. Tics are involuntary, repetitive movements and vocalizations. They are the defining feature of a group of childhood-onset, neurodevelopmental conditions known collectively as Tic Disorders and individually as Tourette Syndrome, Chronic Tic Disorder (Motor or Vocal Type), and Provisional Tic Disorder. The three Tic Disorders—"

Kite suddenly stopped herself, her cheeks red with embarrassment and the mousy girl turned away from Coco. She drew into herself, hugging her arms and squeezing her eyes shut tightly. Coco tilted her head in confusion, moving closer to put a hand on Kite's thin shoulder. The timid girl flinched at the sudden contact as tears filled her eyes again.

"What's wrong? Why'd you stop talking?"

"I-I did it again…"

Did what? Coco wasn't sure she understood what Kite was talking about. "Um...you didn't do anything wrong, Kite. I was interested in what you were saying...so that's what Tourette Syndrome is…" She nodded her head, showing she understood Kite's clear explanation. "You sounded like you were reading right out of a medical book or something. I guess you would remember how to explain a disorder you have to other people, right?" The dark skinned girl smiled brightly, gently rubbing the girl's shoulder.

"So don't feel embarrassed. You didn't say or do anything wrong at all." Kite slowly stood up straight, her body still tense as she turned to look at her new friend. Wiping the tears from her eyes, she quietly nodded.

She knew she'd done nothing wrong. She had never done a bad thing in her life. But the memories of her childhood flooded her head just now. She could still hear the whispered voices of her old classmates openly mocking her.

 _Show off.  
_ _Teacher's pet.  
_ _Freak._

There were other things they called her, but those were the most common. But Coco hadn't said anything like that, instead telling her that _she did and said nothing wrong._ Slowly withdrawing from herself, Kite felt embarrassment creep over her and let out another sharp noise. Coco seemed to be very accepting of her despite her disorder, and Kite couldn't have felt any happier. Though she was scared to be in this new place without her parents, she had already made a friend. Her first and only friend at that. Could this have been a sign that things would get better? That her life would improve? She could only hope so.

"Anyway! Time to give you the grand tour!" Coco piped up, her unending enthusiasm brightening up the mood instantly. She seemed to be good at that, given how chipper she was. "I can introduce you to some of the other kids too! I'm gonna make sure you make some friends here!" She was smiling with excitement as she gently grasped Kite's small hand in her own.

"U-Um!" Kite tried to speak up to get Coco's attention, making the dark skinned girl turn around. "A-After the tour...c-could I show you my artwork?"

"You draw?! You _have_ to show me later!" Coco's brown eyes lit up with pure, innocent joy at the very idea of seeing someone else's art. "Wow~ I guess we have an artist in our midst! I'm honored!" She puffed her chest out with pride knowing she was friends with someone who could one day be a famous artist.

"I-It's n-not that amazing...r-really.." Kite looked away as her face turned redder. Coco giggled, thinking that the timid girl was being way too modest. She gently tugged Kite along as they exited their room, leading her down the long hallway lined with large windows. The two girls walked past a small boy dressed in all white pajamas, his fluffy white hair matching his attire. In his hands he held a few different toys, one of which was a toy robot. He hadn't acknowledged the two girls as he walked into his room and shut the door.

"W-Who was that?" Kite questioned curiously over Coco's ramblings. The dark skinned girl stopped in her tracks, taking a glance over at the white haired boy's room.

"Oh, that's just Near. He's not all that friendly with anyone, but he's okay I guess. I don't know him all that well since he never really interacts with anyone." Coco explained with a shrug of her shoulders. "Believe it or not, he's the smartest kid here. Boy's a natural born genius."

Kite blinked in surprise and turned to stare back at Near's room. "He looks...cute. Like a small sheep."

Coco raised a thin eyebrow at the timid girl behind her, but cracked a smile. "You're kinda odd, Kite. That's not a bad thing though." She continued to gently tug Kite along by the hand, leading her down the hallway. "So what areas did Roger show you?"

"Um...t-the eating area, the library, all the classrooms, the play area a-and where everyone's rooms are.." Kite listed off the places Roger had introduced her to when she arrived earlier. Coco pondered for a moment before picking up her pace a bit. Kite stumbled over her feet but caught up to her friend quickly. "W-Where are we going..?"

"I'm gonna show you a secret spot. But first, I wanna introduce you to some other kids here." Coco responded with even more enthusiasm than she had already been exuding. As they briskly walked, something else caught Kite's eye and made her stop abruptly. The sudden stop caused Coco to be yanked back a bit, nearly bumping into Kite. "Kite, why'd you stop…" Coco's voice trailed off when she turned to see what the other girl was staring at.

A door that was sealed off with yellow caution tape. It was right in between two other rooms, no doubt occupied by some orphans here. It stood out and for some reason Kite got this eerie feeling from it.

"H-How come that particular room is closed off?" Kite asked curiously, but at first she got no answer. She turned to look at Coco, but something seemed...off. The dark skinned girl was no longer smiling. In fact, all the light was gone from her eyes for a brief moment.

"...I-It's nothing. We should get going." Coco avoided the subject and continued to drag Kite along. Kite glanced back at the room over her shoulder as she followed her friend. What had that been all about? She wanted to ask, but clearly something about that room made Coco uncomfortable. "Anyway! This is Pyro's room." She was suddenly all cheerful again as she stopped in front of a door with a handmade sign on it.

Crudely written on the sign was _Pyro's room_ in colored pencil. The sign had flames scribbled on the edges. Without even knocking, Coco opened the door and walked right in while still tugging Kite behind her.

"Oh Pyro~! I got someone for you to meet~!" Coco sang loudly to a group of three teenage boys gathered up on the carpeted floor. They all looked up with annoyed expressions and the boy with spiked up strawberry blonde hair spoke up.

"Do you _always_ have to come barging in here, Coco?"

"Of course I do, Pyro!" The boy now known as Pyro sighed and shook his head. He noticed some movement behind Coco and realized it was another person. They were timidly hiding behind the loud girl.

"So...who's that behind you?" He asked curiously, standing up along with the other two boys and walking over to get a better look.

Kite felt her chest tighten up and desperately tried to hide her entire body behind her friend. Her face turned red as the boys got closer. Coco smiled and stepped aside, exposing the shy girl to the group of boys. Kite only shuffled over so she was hiding behind the dark skinned girl again, hesitantly peeking her head out to meet the gazes of the trio.

"Oh! It's the new girl. Kite, right?" The boy on Pyro's left asked, to which Coco nodded. Pyro hadn't said a word, his eyes locked with Kite's bright blue eyes. A blush was creeping up his cheeks and his voice had caught in his throat. He couldn't even make himself move from where he stood.

This girl was...cute. _Really_ cute.

Noticing this, Coco rolled her eyes and waved her hand in front of his face. "Earth to Pyro! You gonna introduce yourself?" Snapping out of his stupor, he awkwardly cleared his throat and took a step towards Kite. The shy girl seemed to shrink into herself as he approached her.

"Um...I'm Pyro...but I guess you already knew that." He rubbed the back of his neck with one hand, the other stuffed into the pocket of his worn out jeans. Kite could see the small freckles dusting the boys reddened cheeks. His eyes were a nice shade of green, his complexion fairly pale which made his features stand out more. His strawberry blonde hair was spiked up a bit in the front with some of his bangs resting against his forehead.

"...Um...i-it's...v-very nice to m-meet you...Pyro.." Kite spoke softly as her heart raced and it became increasingly harder to breathe properly. She felt she would never get used to all this attention being on her.

"N-Nice to uh...meet you too, Kite." The strawberry blonde smiled sheepishly at her, his face feeling hot as he could hear his friends trying to hold in their laughter. He had the feeling they'd be making fun of him for this as soon as the girls left.

Coco quickly came to Kite's rescue, grabbing her hand and giving the boys a wave. "Well I'm gonna keep showing Kite around and stuff, so we'll see you guys later!" She called out as she was already dragging Kite along out the door. The moment she closed the door, she turned her back to Kite and they continued their trek through the halls.

Coco had felt a pang inside of her throughout that entire interaction with Pyro. Maybe she was imagining things...but it looked a lot like…no. She had to have been wrong.

Pyro wasn't smitten with Kite... _was he?_

Coco chose to ignore it for now, knowing that she still had some things to show her new friend. Kite wondered if something was wrong, as Coco hadn't really said a word since they left Pyro's room. In fact, she'd caught how quiet the dark skinned girl became when she mentioned that sealed door. Though she chose not to question any of it, she was concerned about Coco nonetheless.

"Coco…? Is everything o-okay?" Her voice was only above a whisper, yet since it was so quiet in the hallway Coco could hear her just fine. She stopped and turned to Kite with a big smile stretching on her lips.

"Yeah! Don't worry, I'm okay! I was just thinking about something, that's all." Coco tried to sound reassuring, putting back up her cheerful and carefree composure. Kite felt a little relieved when her friend was all smiles again. Still...she couldn't shake the feeling that something happened here in this orphanage. Something that Coco didn't want to talk about.

Coco went on to show Kite the nurse's room, which was fairly small with only a couple beds. The nurse herself was a sweet middle aged woman with hair that was already graying in some places. She offered the two girls some candy, introducing herself as Ms. Holland.

Kite knew that there was a chance she might be visiting the nurse a lot due to her Tourettes, so it was a good thing that Ms. Holland was so nice. It was unfortunate, but Kite often hurt herself when her tics got especially bad and had been a frequent visitor to the nurse's office at her old elementary school. More memories flashed through her head. She would be laying on one of the beds for a couple hours, her back turned to everything around her. She would curl up, shoulders shaking and chest heaving as she cried quietly into her pillow. She hated being this way. She hated the person she was. It wasn't fair. Nothing was fair.

She was in pain and alone at school on a frequent basis. At the very least, she always had her parents when she got home. Things from now on would be different. She no longer had them to comfort her when she had a bad day. Her heart hurt as she was reminded that she would never see their smiles again. Tears filled her eyes but Kite quickly blinked them away. She'd already cried enough today.

Coco sucked on her cherry flavored lollipop as they exited the nurse's area, continuing her tour. "I wish I could take you outside to look around but it's everything's all wet from the rain." Not that there was much to see out in the yard, but there was a swing and some trees that kids liked to climb on. She frowned as she stared out the window at the sky that had begun to clear up. But then she remembered the one place she _really_ wanted to show her new friend. Coco perked right back up, turning back to face Kite with a giddy and childish smile.

"Wanna see something neat? It's in the playroom." Kite only nodded her head and the dark skinned girl led the way to the play area, where only a few small children were playing with puzzles or some kind of toy. Some were even just reading books that seemed far too advanced for children their age. But Kite had to remember that this was no ordinary orphanage. Every child here, including herself, was gifted in some fashion. Whether it be intelligence or a useful talent they could hone and improve upon, everyone here was a genius to some degree.

Coco brought Kite over to one corner of the room where an ordinary looking door was. Only thing is, if you tried to turn the handle it would be locked. However, Coco reached into her skirt pocket, pulling out a small silver key. "I took it from Roger's office one day cuz I was curious about what was behind this door. He always keeps it locked for some weird reason, because when me and Pyro got it open there wasn't anything bad or dangerous in there. It just seemed like an extra room that Roger wasn't doing anything with." She inserted the key into the keyhole, turning it until they heard a click. The door opened pretty easily and Coco pulled Kite inside, closing it behind them.

It was quite dark in the room at first, and Kite couldn't make out her friend right in front of her. "U-Um…w-why is it so dark..?"

"That's because there's no ceiling light in here." Coco carefully walked into the middle of the room and knelt down in front of a small device. Flipping its switch on, the room became illuminated as images of outer space were displayed on the ceiling. Now Kite could see that some bean bag chairs occupied the room. It wasn't much, but it looked like a small hang out spot.

"Ta-da! What do you think? Pretty cool planetarium, huh?" Coco put her hands on her hips, sticking her chest out with pride. "I'm the one who decided to turn this into a little hang out spot for me and my friends. It's nice to just come in here and relax with a snack or something. You could even come in here and read in privacy if you really wanted to."

As Coco gushed over her own private hang out spot, Kite took a look around. Her blue eyes lit up as she gazed at the beautiful stars that moved across the ceiling's surface. It gave her such a sense of ease. "I-I like it. There's something c-comfortable about this room."

"That's why I made it into my very own little hang out spot! Sometimes...I even like to come here just to be alone." Coco's voice sounded sad and kind of distant just now. Kite had noticed the sudden change in her tone, but didn't bring it up. "So don't let Kitten and her posse know about this room. They'll rat me out to Roger." Kite quietly nodded her head and sat down on one of the bean bag chairs. As she lowered herself down, she hadn't expected to sink so far down as she did. She dropped down into the seat, looking startled while Coco nearly burst out laughing.

"Aw, you looked so frightened! Sorry for laughing, it was just kind of amusing." Coco held her hand over her mouth, smiling from ear to ear. Kite sat up a bit, composing herself as a small smile tugged at her lips.

"I-It was kind of funny, wasn't it?" The timid girl giggled softly while Coco held a hand out to her. Kite took her hand and stood back up, stumbling a bit as she tried to catch her footing.

"I think that's the first time you've smiled today. You should do it more often! You have such a cute smile, Kite~" Coco smiled wider as Kite's face flushed red and she tried her best to hide her embarrassment, only to fail miserably. "It's a compliment, Kite! Don't feel so embarrassed~ You really are very cute when you smile! Heck, even when you don't smile you're still cute as a button!" The dark skinned girl pulled Kite into a tight hug, rubbing her cheek against the timid girl's hair. Kite could only make nervous noises in response, she wasn't used to being hugged like this. Coco eventually let Kite go so she could turn off the planetarium. She took Kite's wrist and guided her out of the dark room before closing and locking it behind them.

"Remember, don't tell Roger, Kitten or anyone else untrustworthy about this room." She whispered to Kite with a smile and a wink. Coco pocketed the key and pulled Kite out of the playroom. "So...I think we're done with the tour, but what should we do now..?" Coco pondered their options for a few moments, and just as Kite was about to open her mouth to speak she perked up as she got an idea. "I know! Can you show me your artwork?!"

Kite was a bit startled by Coco's sudden enthusiasm, slowly realizing this was something she'd have to get used to. "Um...o-okay." Kite gave her consent and followed the more outgoing girl back down the long and quiet hallways back to their room. As the two arrived back at the room they shared, the door next to them opened and the same two boys Kite had seen in the playroom walked out. The one with golden colored locks held a chocolate bar carefully in his hand, biting into it. The _snap_ of a piece breaking off was so crisp and distinct that it made Kite stop short. The boy behind him had his face buried in a handheld game again. His eyes covered by those goggles he'd been wearing.

Kite slowly turned her curious gaze to the two boys, but in particular, the blond with the sharp icy blue glare. He had clearly noticed she was staring, because he stared right back with a hard and cold scowl.

Mello didn't understand why the new girl was staring at _him_ , but he wanted her to stop. So he spoke up, his voice surprisingly kind of deep despite his appearance. "What?" His voice was harsh, making Kite immediately break out of her stupor with a small gasp. She shrunk into herself, unable to even utter a single word. He had to wonder how she was even accepted here. She didn't seem too bright from what he could see, and she could barely talk to anyone without looking weak and pathetic.

"Are you going to keep standing in my way all night? Move." Mello questioned, more than a little bit annoyed with this mousy girl. Of course, Kite did what he said and moved aside. Before he could even start to walk past her, Coco blocked his path with her hands on her hips. She glared up at him with brown eyes full of defiance and her brows knit together in anger. Mello was unaffected by her attempts to appear threatening to him.

"Leave her alone, _Mello._ " There was a thick layer of venom laced into her tone when she uttered his name in disgust. "She doesn't need to listen to you."

"Fuck off, Coco." Was all Mello said before shoving past the dark skinned girl and storming off, not even bothering to make sure Matt was following. The red headed teen looked up from his game and lifted his goggles up to reveal a rather nice pair of emerald hues.

"Sorry. He's in one of his moods today." He apologized for his friend, turning his gaze to Kite. "I'm Matt, by the way. My friend's an ass, but he's not so bad once you get to know him well enough." He put his goggles back down over his eyes, watching the timid girl begin to relax a bit since she had gotten pretty tensed up in her encounter with Mello. "Dinner's soon, so I'd get going to the cafeteria if I were you two."

"Yeah...we'll go down soon." Coco was still visibly angry, but tried to keep her temper to a minimum talking to Matt. She didn't dislike the red headed gamer, he was a nice enough person. It was his best friend she couldn't stand.

"Alright well...uh, see you two around then." Matt gave Kite a wink and a friendly smile before running to catch up with Mello. Coco inhaled deeply and let out a drawn out sigh, opening their door and letting Kite inside. Once the door was closed behind her, she let out a frustrated noise that startled the timid girl.

"I can't stand that jerk!" Coco let out a few shaky breaths and looked at Kite seriously. "Don't go near Mello. He's just another bully that you don't need to deal with." Though Kite quietly nodded her head, she had to wonder if that was really true.

Sure he seemed like an angry person, but... _was he really that much of a bully._ He hadn't really done anything to bully her, he'd just been incredibly rude. She wanted to tell Coco that it was her fault he got angry, because she really had been standing in his way. She'd been staring and got lost in her own thoughts.

 _She had thought those icy blue eyes were incredibly beautiful._

* * *

Deciding to just go have dinner before Coco viewed Kite's art, the girls headed to the cafeteria. They sat at an empty table near the back and were served a meal that Kite never would have gotten back in public school. It wasn't overcooked and didn't look like it came out of a can or a box. It was actual food.

It felt strange, eating in a cafeteria with a friend. Kite remembered all the days she spent eating at a table alone or in the nurse's office. When the bullying got especially bad, she wouldn't even have a lunch to eat. But now...she had a nice hot meal and was eating with someone else. Coco talked and talked, but Kite didn't mind. She liked listening to Coco's stories and rants.

So this is what it was like to have a friend. Kite smiled faintly as she ate, completely invested in the tales Coco was weaving. For a moment, she seemed to forget all of her troubles and fears. Though temporary, all her negative thoughts about herself melted away.

She had failed to notice that Kitten, the blonde girl from earlier that day was looking right at her. Her fierce green eyes burning holes into the timid girl. An all too familiar emotion coursed through her, bringing up unpleasant memories. The urge to make this innocent, mousy girl feel as terrible as possible grew stronger by the second. But not with Coco there. She needed to be alone.

A sly, conniving smile stretched across her lips as if she were a ferocious cat preying on an innocent mouse. She was going to have _fun_ with this one.

* * *

"Okay, show me your art! Show me! Show me!" Coco was practically bouncing up and down, resembling a hyperactive puppy. She grew giddy as Kite got out her portfolios and canvases from her luggage. A lot of her artwork was a wide variety of different mediums on different materials. Coco began to look through everything, amazed at the things Kite had created from nothing.

"Wow...this is incredible! How'd you get so good?!" She leaned forward, getting a bit too close to Kite's face and making her move back just a bit.

"U-Um...I-I just...practiced?" Kite sounded unsure of how to answer such a question. How would she even explain how she got that talented in art? She always thought it came naturally to her.

"Damn...your art is impressive. You could display these in museums!" Kite's cheeks flushed as she was receiving compliments and praise. She was far too modest and bashful to ever boast about her own work, let alone show it off.

At first, Kite's drawings were of peaceful landscapes or cute animals. Bright colors were used, giving off a pleasant and happy vibe. Bt the further she went, the darker the pictures began to look in comparison. Drawings and paintings depicting the feeling of loneliness or anxiety. There was one that stood out to her though.

A girl resembling Kite herself was weighed down by chains in a dark room, and a wall of glass in front of her. The girl had her hands pressed up against it, a desperate look in her sad and empty eyes. Coco frowned, going quiet as Kite looked away.

Was this how Kite felt?

"It's getting pretty late. Why don't we hit the sack, huh?" Coco put the picture back in the portfolio book, closing it and handing it to Kite. She stood up off the floor and made her way over to her side of the room, starting to change her clothes while Kite put her artwork away.

Pulling up her pajama pants, Coco broke the uncomfortable silence that hung over them. "...Kite?"

The timid girl looked up as she was pulling her own shirt off, revealing a gray dress underneath the black off-the-shoulder sweater. "Y-Yes?" Kite's soft voice responded back, feeling afraid that Coco would ask her about that picture.

"If...you need someone to talk to, you know I'm here for you, right? I'll listen to whatever you want to get off your chest." Coco smiled at her friend, realizing that Kite was kind of a mystery. She had barely spoken much the entire day they spent together. It was hard to know what was going on inside her head, which is why those darker pictures shocked her. She knew Kite was shy, but...she hadn't expected that.

Kite didn't respond at first, appearing as though she had to think hard about her answer. She avoided looking at Coco so the dark skinned girl couldn't see her crying for what felt like the hundredth time today.

"Kite…?" Coco approached the quiet girl and placed her hands on her thin shoulders. Kite couldn't hold back her tears and just let them flow freely down her cheeks. She fell to her knees, Coco going with her. Warm arms wrapped around the small girl as she began to sob into Coco's shirt. While she was sobbing harder, Coco gently stroked her back as she held her in her embrace.

"Shh...it's okay. I'm here, Kite." Coco's voice was softer, warmer as she spoke to her crying friend.

This felt familiar. Just like when her mother would hold her and whisper comforting words to her as she cried after a bad day at school.

* * *

Once Kite had gotten it out of her system, she got into her night clothes and climbed into her new bed. Pulling the blanket over her small body, she looked over at Coco who was also just getting into bed. "G-Goodnight, Coco."

"Night, Kite. Pleasant dreams." Coco smiled with a yawn and laid down. The room fell completely silent as Coco fell asleep quickly. But Kite stayed awake a while longer, staring up at the clouds that covered part of the moon in the night sky from her window. She began to think about her parents and how they would let her sleep in their bed with them when she was too scared to be alone.

Right now...she wished they were still around to do that. Kite silently cried into her pillow until she was too tired to cry anymore. She fell asleep with tears staining her cheeks and a hole in her heart that was left by her parents' deaths.

* * *

 **Finally updated this story, whew. I'm quite excited to get things going. I'll be starting to type chapter three after this gets posted. I want to make a little bit of progress on this story before the anime convention I'm going to comes up next month.**

 **As usual, I'd love some feedback! It'll let me know how I'm doing and if I need to improve on anything! I hope you all are doing well and have a wonderful day!**

 **-Bean**


	3. Contract

Acceptance || Death Note

 **I'm sorry this took so dang long. So here, have the humble beginnings of the main ship of this fic. c:**

* * *

She hoped that when she woke up the next morning, all of this would have been a terrible dream. She'd still be in her original bed, being woken up by her caring and loving mother. She would have made Kite breakfast and as she ate, her father would walk into the kitchen ready for work. He'd smile at Kite and give her a pat on the head before kissing his wife on the cheek. That's what Kite had been wishing for.

But then she woke up, being met with nothing but disappointment. This hadn't all been a haze filled dream. Sitting up in her bed, Kite wiped the tears from her eyes that had begun to form while she was still sleeping. Coco was already up and about, having come out of the bathroom drying her hair with a towel.

"Mornin' Kite! Hurry and get ready. We have classes after breakfast." Coco reminded her while running a brush through her thick dark brown hair.

Without saying a word, Kite pulled herself out of bed and got a pair of fresh clean clothes to wear. Entering the small bathroom, she saw that instead of a bathtub with a shower head, it was more of a shower stall. Stripping off her pajamas, Kite wrapped a towel around her small frame and turned the shower water on.

Once the temperature was warm enough, she stepped in and took the towel off. Sliding the glass door closed, the warm water hit her smooth skin and relaxed her entire body. As she stood there under the running water, Kite thought about how much she didn't want to leave her room. She'd have to go to class and be around the other kids.

 _All she could feel was anxiety._

It felt crippling, like her body didn't want to move. She wanted to just hide in here, but she knew that there was no way Coco would let her. Kite thought of faking being ill, but she had never once fibbed in her life. She was far too honest, almost to a fault. She couldn't ever say _no_ to anything. It made her an easy target for bullying, and she never once defended herself.

After washing her body and shampooing her brown hair, Kite stepped out and began to dry herself off. Quickly getting dressed, she brushed her damp hair and tied her black ribbon into it and walked out. She was ready to go, but unsure if she actually _wanted_ to go to class. She had to, though. It was mandatory, sadly enough. Kite stared at her reflection in the mirror, which was fogged up from the condensation in the air.

Would the kids here call her ugly too?

Despite Coco's insistence that Kite was anything but ugly, she couldn't think of herself as cute or pretty. Her appearance was made fun of far too many times, twisting the way she looked at herself. Her perception of herself became warped, and all her thoughts were anything but positive.

A knock on the other side of the door brings her back to reality. "Kite? You ready?" Coco's voice could be heard, the very slight hint of impatience evident. She probably hadn't meant to come off that way, but hunger can make a person feel impatient.

"C-Coming." Kite stuttered quietly while squeezing some toothpaste onto her toothbrush. She brushed her teeth as quickly as she could and opened the door. Coco's bright smiling face greeted her as soon as she stepped out of the small bathroom, and the dark skinned girl gently took Kite's wrist in her hand.

"Come on~ We gotta get breakfast before everyone gets all the good stuff!" She dragged the mousy girl out into the hall. She seemed to be in a hurry, and Kite wondered if the really good breakfast items were limited. It didn't take long for the two girls to enter the eating area, Coco immediately grabbing them both trays and handing one to Kite. She gingerly took it and stood behind Coco in line to get their food. They were right on time to get some scrambled eggs, sausage, bacon, hash browns and chocolate milk. Coco led the way to an empty table towards the back and Kite sits beside her friend.

Coco made no haste in digging into her meal, chewing delightfully. "So good~"

A smile ghosted onto Kite's lips and she slowly worked on her scrambled eggs. Taking small sips of her chocolate milk as she tried to eat as much of her meal as she could. Kite had never been the type to eat much, only when she really needed to. Being in a new place made her nervous, and when she's feeling this anxious it's impossible for her to eat a lot. But she forced herself so Coco wouldn't worry that she isn't eating enough.

Coco had finished way before Kite did, and the latter hadn't even been able to eat everything. She followed Coco over to the drop off area where they placed their empty trays after throwing out their garbage. Kite tensed up as the same blond boy from the day before walked past her, his redheaded companion at his side. Why did she freeze up like that? Is she scared of him? That's what she wanted to think, but at the same time she was strangely...curious about him. If asked why, Kite wasn't sure if she'd be able to explain it.

She's then taken by the wrist again and pulled off towards the classrooms, despite her reluctance to go. Coco had reassured her that she'd be okay since she'd be there with her, but that bit of earnest sincerity failed to ease the anxiety tightening her chest or the knot twisting in her stomach. The more Kite thought of how everyone would stare at her with what she assumed to be judging gazes, the more she just wanted to run away and hide.

It's what she's always done. Hide herself from the eyes of others so she couldn't get hurt anymore. She hated herself for being so cowardly, but in her mind it was far better than being ridiculed by everyone around her.

As the two girls neared the classroom, Kite stopped walking and Coco halted to turn and look at her, concerned. "Kite? What's wrong?"

"I...I can't...I-I'm scared…" The frail girl stuttered out quietly, her eyes looking elsewhere. "W-What if...everyone makes fun of me?" It's something she couldn't bear to go through again. She was battling with herself, deciding whether she should suck it up and go to class or run away to that special room Coco had shown her the previous day. That sounded far more appealing to Kite. Sitting in the empty room with a good book, nothing but silence and the words on the pages to comfort her.

However.  
She'd remain friendless.

She knew this. Her mind screamed at her to hold her head up high and walk in there with confidence. The saying goes that "it's easier said than done" and right now that applied to how she felt in this situation. "I-I really can't do this—"

"Don't say that, Kite." Coco interjected, expression soft and warm as she places her hands on Kite's slender shoulders. "Stop saying you can't. You won't know unless you try. Besides, if anyone makes fun of you, I've got your back." She removed her hands from Kite's shoulders and reached down to take one of her hands. "Remember, you're not friendless anymore. I'm here for you. So hold your head up high and let's walk in there together."

Kite still felt the agonizing tightness pull at her chest and the lump in her throat that she couldn't seem to swallow. She still felt like she was endlessly drowning, but…

Coco's reassuring smile and the warmth of her hand convinced her to act a little brave today. She promised herself she'd try to change and become more confident. Today would be a step in the right direction.

"O-Okay." Kite quietly stuttered, returning Coco's shining expression with a flush of her cheeks and a timid smile of her own. She held tightly onto her more outgoing friend's hand as they approached the classroom. The closer they got—

 _Ba-bump  
_ _Ba-bump_

—the louder the thumping of her pounding heart became. Normally, this wouldn't be such a huge deal to any other child. But...Kite _isn't_ a normal child. Anxiety is a tricky thing. The smallest things always seem much more overwhelming and difficult than they really are. Kite had felt that way about a lot of things for a long time. Today will be a step in overcoming her crippling social anxiety.

Today, she would go to class and maybe make another friend or two.

With that in mind, Kite held her head up and walked through the door into the classroom. A lot of the children already there were around hers and Coco's ages. This included Pyro and his two friends, that little white haired boy named Near, that blond haired boy and his redheaded companion and…

Intense green eyes narrowed into slits as they bore into Kite from the back of the room. She now knew why the blonde haired girl was called Kitten. Her eyes resembled a cat's because of just how green and sharp they were. If she was a ferocious cat then Kite was her prey, a small and helpless mouse that she would catch and devour. Any ounce of positivity and motivation Kite had for those few seconds had all but deflated into oblivion.

Kite stuck to Coco like glue as they walked further inside, the more outgoing girl leading the way. She surveyed the room for an empty seat, but the only other unoccupied desk was...right beside the boy called Mello. Coco's face twisted in displeasure, she would rather give Kite her seat and take the empty one than make the poor girl put up with him. However, at the same time she knew if she sat beside him they'd constantly argue with each other leading to both of them getting in trouble. Coco turned to Kite with an apologetic gaze.

"There's an empty desk beside... _him._ " She grumbled, gesturing to the blond male who shot her a dirty look in return.

 _The feeling was mutual._

Kite followed where Coco's finger pointed, a sinking feeling in her stomach when she noticed who she'd be seated next to. She knew nothing about Mello, only that Coco didn't like him and he seemed like a bully towards the other kids. He wore a constant scowl, giving her the impression that he's not too friendly. She was reluctant to leave Coco's side, but once the other girl went to her usual seat Kite had no choice but to accept her fate. Coco herself did not wish to subject Kite to sitting anywhere near Mello, feeling terrible about the situation. At the very least, they were in the same room so if any trouble did arise she could come to Kite's rescue quick enough.

The shy brunette quietly and awkwardly made her way towards the empty seat, sitting down as a sense of dread filled her very being. Curiously, she turned her head to take a brief glance at the blond boy next to her. He stared forward, not even acknowledging she was there. She supposed that should be a blessing, right? At this point, being ignored by a bully is much better than being made fun of by one.

Mello felt a pair of eyes on him, glancing at the timid girl beside him out of the corner of his gaze. "What?" Came his sharp, edged tone that startled Kite and emit a small gasp before facing forward. Her body language stiff and showing just how scared and nervous she was. He rolled his eyes, facing forward again. _Wonderful._ Out of all the places she could sit, she had to choose the desk right beside his. Unfortunately, because of his attitude, nobody but Matt really liked him all that much. So while the redhead sat on one side of him, the other had remained empty...until now that is.

 _He hated it._

He was starting to believe that the orphanage was just bringing in any kid who seemed bright just because they got good grades. Kitten was one person that came to mind. Why the hell was she even here? She didn't seem particularly bright and she cared more about her looks or boys to even focus on what actually mattered. Then there were kids like Coco and Pyro. Sure they were bright, but they didn't have any interest in trying to succeed L. Plus, their rankings were nowhere near his level. This girl...she'd never make it here, let alone out in the real world. She looked like the kind of person who could barely hold a conversation.

She's too mousy and timid. A pushover. Nobody worth his time. Yet the world seemed to hate him because now he'd probably be forced to interact with her.

"You." He spoke up, startling her yet again but managing to get her attention. The mousy girl slowly turned her head in his direction, big blue eyes wide with fear. "Don't bother me, and we won't have any problems. Got it?" A nod of her head tells him that she understood her place and confirmed that she wouldn't speak a word to him. She seemed too frightened to even open her mouth and say something. She was a weak minded girl who didn't belong here, as far as he was concerned.

While Kite waited patiently for the teacher to begin the lesson, she took a glance around the room. The teacher was at her desk, possibly organizing today's lesson plans and paperwork. She looked to be in her sixties, thin graying hair pulled back in a tight bun and wearing a pair of thin framed glasses on the bridge of her nose. Her skin was starting to wrinkle and she sported a white blouse tucked into a long black skirt. She appeared strict, but when she looked up to meet Kite's gaze she smiled.

She felt relieved knowing the teacher was kind. It made her feel just a little bit better being here. Continuing her survey of the room, she noticed the varying ages of the other kids. Some were at least close to her own age and some were much younger. She spotted Pyro near Coco and when he caught her looking at him he turned away as a blush crept up his freckled cheeks. She turned to look over her shoulder only to be met with Kitten's intense glare. Quickly she turned right back around, deciding it was probably better to stare forward. But she could still feel Kitten's eyes on the back of her head, attempting to burn a hole right through Kite.

She swallows hard, sinking into her chair. All she could really do was try not to think about it. Ignore how she's being treated. That's right…

 _There's nothing she can do._

The teacher went to stand in front of the class, clearing her throat. "I realize that you all know me by this point, but there is a new face among us. So I will formally introduce myself." She looked directly at Kite, whom had begun to shrink even further as all eyes fell on her. "My name is Mrs. Swanson. What name do you go by?"

She smiled sweetly at Kite, but it didn't help her growing anxiety and panic. She sat up straighter in her seat, and for a few brief moments she found herself unable to speak. She opened and closed her mouth several times, her face burning hot when she realized she was embarrassing herself. She had to talk before she made this moment any more awkward.

She took a deep breath and exhaled steadily. "K-Kite."

"It's nice to have you here, Kite. Let me get you a copy of the book we're reading together." She stepped away to her desk while Kite glanced around. The other children all had pulled out a copy of her favorite book, _Alice's Adventures in Wonderland_. Mrs. Swanson came back with a copy just for her, despite the fact she already owned her own. The timid girl graciously takes it while stuttering out a small ' _thank you_.' The others had their books open to a specific page, which one it was Kite had no clue.

"Everyone remembers where we left off?" Everyone nodded their heads except for Kite, who already appeared overwhelmed. "Oh, my apologies, Kite. We're on the very first page, first paragraph of chapter two. Would you like to start us off?" Mrs. Swanson started, but wore a confused expression when Kite began to speak without having even opened the book at all.

" _Curiouser and curiouser!' cried Alice (she was so much surprised that for the moment she quite forgot how to speak good English); 'now I'm opening out like the largest telescope that ever was! Good-bye feet!' (for when she looked down at her feet, they seemed to be almost out of sight, they were getting so far off.) 'Oh, my poor little feet, I wonder who will put on your shoes and stockings for you now, dears? I'm sure_ _ **I**_ _shan't be able! I shall be a great deal too far off to trouble myself about you: you must manage the best way you can—but I must be kind to them' thought Alice, 'or perhaps they won't walk the way I want to go! Let me see: I'll give them a new pair of boots every Christmas.'_

While she had gotten into it, their teacher had been looking from the page to Kite and back again. Every word she was reciting was exactly as how it was printed on the page. Kite's pronunciation and speech was clear and precise, her tone far more calm than it had been just a moment ago. As she recited the passage from memory, she seemed to completely forget she was in a room full of other people. She'd become immersed in the moment, and when she was done speaking she looked around at all the shocked expressions on the faces of not only her classmates, but Mrs. Swanson as well.

Uh oh.

Had she done something wrong? Kite had figured that maybe...just _maybe_ since she was surrounded by kids who were intelligent that nobody would call her a 'teacher's pet' or think of her as being weird. She thought someone might be impressed that she could recite a passage from a book by memory, so she took a risk. Now thinking about it, she was starting to seriously regret exposing her gift like this. Kite shrunk back in her seat, her face turning a deep scarlet.

"Oh my...Kite, I had meant for you to read from the book but...that was quite surprising." Mrs. Swanson, sounding impressed, walked over to Kite with a smile. "A photographic memory?"

Kite nodded her head quietly, now desperately wanting to run away and hide out of sheer embarrassment. Or better yet, just become invisible so nobody would keep staring at her. The older woman had a twinkle in her eye, the prospect of having a child with a photographic memory in her class appearing to excite her.

"That's wonderful! It's been a long time since we've had someone like that here! There was a young boy who was like you years back…" But the moment Mrs. Swanson recalled whoever this boy was her mood changed, as did the atmosphere in the room. Most of the older children grew somber, while the younger ones hadn't clue what everyone was looking so gloomy over. Kite herself being just as confused. People like Mello and Kitten didn't seem to really care.

Actually, Mello _didn't_ care about... _that_. He was still peering over at the timid girl next to him in a state of utter surprise. Had he known she had been gifted with a photographic memory, perhaps he'd have tried to respect her more from the start. He had seen her as nothing but a nuisance initially. Someone who wasn't worth acknowledging or even speaking to, someone who was brought here to fill up space.

But he knew Watari wouldn't just pick any old child to be admitted here. Not just any kid could be chosen as a potential successor to the world's greatest detective. Though...he doubted she even knew why she was chosen to be brought here in the first place. In other words, she's utterly clueless.

Not to mention timid, shy, quiet and lacking any sort of confidence. She stuttered nearly every instance she spoke to someone. She attached herself to Coco the moment they met, telling him that she is dependent on someone being around her to feel comfortable. She's a total pushover, a doormat. Anyone could take advantage of her and she wouldn't so a thing to stand up for herself.

Well...he could help her overcome these obstacles…

...That is, if she were to help _him_ get to the number one rank. Mello would beat Near no matter what it took. Even if it meant recruiting this girl's help and using her vast memory to his advantage.

Getting her to help him in his studies would be far too easy.

The corners of his lips tug up ever so slightly, the faintest hint of a smirk beginning to form.

Sure. It's a horrible thing to do, but when has Mello ever really showed much compassion towards anyone? Aside from befriending Matt? Never, and he isn't about to start now.

Mrs. Swanson quickly changed the subject and called on another student to continue reading. Kite felt awkward for indirectly causing so much sorrow and discomfort in the room, even with her lack of knowing exactly why. At the same time, a warm feeling bloomed in her chest. Nobody had mocked her or called her a freak for having a photographic memory. Nobody thought she was just trying to show off or get extra credit.

Maybe...this is the place she could finally feel like she belonged in.

Class went on as it normally would, Kite listening to the other kids read a passage from the book before class was dismissed. It would only be the first of several classes she'd have to get through today. She was about to stand up, but nobody else seemed to be getting up. Confused, she glanced over at the boy next to her as if somehow he would answer her question.

"We stay in the same class and switch teachers." Mello explains in that grumpy tone of his that everyone in the orphanage has come to know. Kite, feeling embarrassed, slowly sat back in her chair and waited for the next teacher to come. They had math next, followed by world history and science. After those first three classes, the children all had lunch in the cafeteria. Then the last two classes they had were a class on writing and one that Kite wouldn't have expected. The last class of of the day was about crimes committed throughout history and how they were solved.

Kite found this kind of subject material to be strange to be teaching to orphans, and if anything a little bit inappropriate for the smaller children. Nevertheless, she took notes and committed the information she was learning to memory. All the while, the timid girl had no choice but to sit beside someone who quite frankly scared her. Once class was dismissed for the day and the children were free to go do as they pleased, Kite stood clutching her textbooks to her chest.

"Hey." Mello's deep, disgruntled voice got her attention before she could make her way over to Coco. Kite stiffened, cautiously turning to face the blond teen. "Meet me outside your room in ten minutes. I need to speak with you about something." He didn't even give her a chance to respond as he'd already dragged Matt out the door by the back of his shirt. The redhead looked up for a second from his game to wave at her, being scolded by Mello to "put that damn game down and walk."

She stayed glued to that spot, frozen with fear and anticipation. Kite had so many questions piling up, but had an answer to none. Why would he want to talk with her after making it clear she shouldn't bother him? Coco seemed to have failed to notice the little exchange as she was still talking quite happily with Pyro. Not wanting Coco to freak out and worry about her, Kite quietly slipped out of the classroom and walked through the halls by herself. Books still clutched to her chest and anxiety causing her breath to catch in her throat. She returned to her room and set her textbooks down, jumping when she heard a knock at her door.

Cautiously did Kite walk over to answer it, already having her suspicions about who it could be. Her assumptions were correct, for the moment she opened the door she was met with a pair of icy blue eyes. Mello stood there looking impatient, glancing down the hall for some reason.

"Hurry up and get out here before Coco comes. I don't need to deal with her right now." Mello's tone was commanding, if not disgruntled. Kite quickly exited her room and shut the door behind her. Meekly watching his every movement, arms drawn close to herself. "I have an offer for you. See, there's someone here that I'm trying to surpass. With that mind of yours, I might have a chance."

Kite quietly nodded her head, allowing him to continue.

"In short, I want your help. I've noticed you have confidence issues. Being the way you are, you'll never survive out there in the real world when you leave this place." Mello's words and tone are quite harsh, but even Kite had to admit he'd hit the nail right on the head.

Again, she simply nods her head. He continues.

"So in return for helping me one up that bastard Near...I'll help you learn to stand up for yourself." His words take her by surprise, and the mousy girl looks at him as if he were her savior. She couldn't believe someone, let alone a boy like Mello, was offering to help her overcome her confidence issues.

Of course, even Kite could see that he had ulterior motives. He seemed to want to one up that cute white haired boy for some reason. So he's seeking out her help in return for teaching her to stick up for herself. If Coco knew about this, she'd most definitely tell Kite to decline. Thinking Mello to be a scummy individual who is only using her for her vast memory.

Perhaps Kite is just desperate for friends, but…

 _Mello is kinda scary..._

Perhaps Kite is being too naive and trusting of a boy she didn't know…

… _but—_

He didn't _have_ to help her overcome her issues. Nobody, other than her parents, had ever tried to help her. She took it as Mello showing a rare sign of compassion, even if she might have been completely wrong.

— _maybe he's not as bad as everyone thinks he is. She wants to believe that._

"Well?" Mello asked, growing impatient with her silence. His arms folded over his chest, eyebrows furrowed together and that scowl of his never wavered even for a second. He brought a chocolate bar up to his lips and bit into it, creating a crisp and loud _snap._ "Do we have a deal?"

It was like he was asking to form some contract with her. Well...if it would help her better herself and gain companionship...what was there to lose?

Kite's soft looking lips parted slightly, her answer coming out in a soft stutter that Mello knew they'd have to work on getting rid of.

"Y-Yes. I-It's a deal."

 _And so the contract has been sealed._


End file.
